In 2008, news was abuzz with the detection of a massive exoplanet just 25 light years away from Earth, practically in our cosmic backyard. While the features of neither the exoplanet, Fomalhaut b, nor its star, Fomalhaut, were extraordinary, this discovery was notable for two things that unfolded in its wake. First, it proved that […]
Astronomers have looked to telescopes as the most powerful tool for planetary and interstellar observation since their conception in the 17th century. Peering up at the sky from the ground, these telescopes facilitated the discovery of the Solar System planets and their moons, many types of stars, and distant galaxies. But in 1990, one telescope
The Hubble Space Telescope: A catalyst for modern space exploration Read More »
Over the summer, two independent collaborations of solar physicists published breakthrough papers within months of each other, furthering our understanding of the mechanics of solar flares and how to predict them. With just four years until peak activity in the sun’s 11-year solar cycle, the ability to predict potentially dangerous solar flares is more crucial
Less than 40 million miles away, Mars can be observed in the night sky by the naked eye, distinguishable by a reddish tinge to its pinprick of light. Data on Mars began to be collected almost as soon as space exploration itself began; the 1964 mission aboard NASA’s Mariner 4 was the first successful flyby
Massive Martian sand waves Read More »
Even among the myriad of mysterious, awe-inspiring objects in our universe, pulsars deserve special recognition. As one of the densest objects and most powerful magnets known to man, the pulsar is one of nature’s most extreme creations. The husks of dead stars — the fastest of which can spin over 700 times per second, pulsars
Pulsars: the lighthouse of the universe Read More »
Black holes are known as eradicators of light and matter, earning a mysterious and destructive reputation. However, these space oddities have behaviors, albeit occasionally baffling, that may help construct the conceptual building blocks of scientific phenomena all across the universe. As is common in the world of science, one discovery can cause ripple effects across
Another one lights the dust: Echo mapping the universe Read More »
Early in its discovery, Venus was thought to have a similar atmosphere to Earth’s for reasons such as observed clouds, but upon researching the environment of Venus, it became obvious that the climate was far from Earth’s. The temperature on a normal day is around 400 degrees Celsius, or 752 degrees Fahrenheit, and its surface
Sailing into the Abyss: A Pioneering Development in Space Travel By Jennifer Garland, Applied Physics, 2021 Source: NASA This article was originally published as part of Issue 35: Motion. The history of spaceflight has depended on chemical rocket engines as the primary form of propulsion. However, fuel limits our exploration range and takes up 95 percent
Sailing into the Abyss: A Pioneering Development in Space Travel Read More »
Two hours, raw ingredients, and a zero-gravity oven. With these resources, astronauts baked the first cookies in outer space. Last December, Luca Parmitano and Christina Koch, stationed at the International Space Station (ISS), baked five chocolate chip cookies from frozen dough to determine cooking times and temperatures in zero gravity and why they differ from
A zero-gravity snack: Astronauts bake the first cookies in space Read More »